What to do When You’re Stuck at Work with a Slacker?
What to do When You’re Stuck at Work with a Slacker?
No organization is immune to the problem of coworkers who don’t fully contribute. But when someone on the team is coming up short, don’t rush to conclusions.
It’s a ubiquitous problem, said Judith White, a teaching professor of business administration at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
“People have an expectation that everyone is going to contribute equally, but that rarely happens, and that’s what frustrates them,” she said. “They want a certain thing from a co-worker, and they don’t get it, and then they have to do extra work.”
It’s often fairly easy—at least at first—for a slacker to go unnoticed.
Take a tug-of-war game. “You can be on a team and actually not be pulling very hard. Nobody will notice, and you can conserve your energy for something else,” White said.
While it’s necessary to address co-workers who aren’t pulling their weight, it’s equally important to do so gently—at first.
“A lot of times it’s about miscommunication,” said Lynn Taylor, a workplace expert and author of Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant. “Maybe they didn’t understand the scope of what they were supposed to do. Take a deep breath, give them the benefit of the doubt, listen to what they have to say, and be sure not to get into any political or personality conflicts.”
White advised refraining from attributing your disappointment to a moral failure or unsavory attribute. “Literally put yourself on the same side of the table and frame the problem as one that needs to be solved, rather than blaming,” she said.
Mike Marcoux, director of mechanical engineering for Boston Engineering Corporation, said a healthy and collaborative work environment requires a certain level of honesty, and that goes for asking direct questions such as “Are you buried?” and “Is there something preventing you from being further along?”
Don’t be afraid to state, with diplomacy and without emotion, how slacking is affecting your team, Taylor added. “It’s not about giving them an out, but about giving them a space to be truthful,” Marcoux explained.
The slacker-in-question could, for example, be rushing home every afternoon to help a family member recover from surgery. “If we treat conflict as a signal to share information,” White noted. “We’re going to get more insight and have a better way of trying to solve the problem.”
Maybe a lack of motivation is the culprit. Does the slacker feel respected and included? If not, consider how to incentivize more cooperation. In any case, every group has a dynamic, and every person in that group has a responsibility to contribute positively to that dynamic. So, if you’re not the only one seemingly affected, search out others to brainstorm solutions.
“You don’t want to be the sole antagonist in this situation without feedback,” Taylor advised. “And there’s power in numbers.”
Try not to approach those in higher management positions until you’ve established a pattern of slacking and feel like you’ve tried other workarounds. One option could be inserting artificial deliverable dates into the process, working backward from when you need to update a client on the status of a project, Marcoux suggested.
“Those interim milestones might push or kick them along to get something going,” he said. Also, management often appreciates it if you attempt to hash out squabbles on your own.
Of course, you may have no choice but to move up the chain of command if a major client starts to show signs of dissatisfaction, a major milestone looks as if it may need to be pushed back, or an entire project becomes at risk of being jeopardized.
Just be sure, as much as possible, to use only facts and stick to how they’re affecting the bottom line, Taylor said.
This is why it is critical to write down thoughts long before you pass them along. “You want to make sure you have a chance to edit them before firing them off in anger,” Taylor continued.
All of this said, if you’re going to call into question a co-worker’s professional integrity, be sure no one has ammunition they could use against you.
“Sometimes this is all relative,” Taylor said. “You might meet with your team, and someone may say, ‘Well, you know, we were expecting more of you too.’ You don’t want egg on your face.”
Above all, be patient.
Engineering may be about big-picture calculations, but “the truth can be somewhere deep in the details,” Marcoux said. “Remember that everyone is a human being, and someone might be fighting a battle you don’t know about. Start with the carrot before you go to the stick.”
Robin Flanigan is an independent writer in Rochester, N.Y.
“People have an expectation that everyone is going to contribute equally, but that rarely happens, and that’s what frustrates them,” she said. “They want a certain thing from a co-worker, and they don’t get it, and then they have to do extra work.”
Low productivity
It’s often fairly easy—at least at first—for a slacker to go unnoticed.
Take a tug-of-war game. “You can be on a team and actually not be pulling very hard. Nobody will notice, and you can conserve your energy for something else,” White said.
While it’s necessary to address co-workers who aren’t pulling their weight, it’s equally important to do so gently—at first.
“A lot of times it’s about miscommunication,” said Lynn Taylor, a workplace expert and author of Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant. “Maybe they didn’t understand the scope of what they were supposed to do. Take a deep breath, give them the benefit of the doubt, listen to what they have to say, and be sure not to get into any political or personality conflicts.”
White advised refraining from attributing your disappointment to a moral failure or unsavory attribute. “Literally put yourself on the same side of the table and frame the problem as one that needs to be solved, rather than blaming,” she said.
Collaboration key
Mike Marcoux, director of mechanical engineering for Boston Engineering Corporation, said a healthy and collaborative work environment requires a certain level of honesty, and that goes for asking direct questions such as “Are you buried?” and “Is there something preventing you from being further along?”
Don’t be afraid to state, with diplomacy and without emotion, how slacking is affecting your team, Taylor added. “It’s not about giving them an out, but about giving them a space to be truthful,” Marcoux explained.
The slacker-in-question could, for example, be rushing home every afternoon to help a family member recover from surgery. “If we treat conflict as a signal to share information,” White noted. “We’re going to get more insight and have a better way of trying to solve the problem.”
Clear causes
Maybe a lack of motivation is the culprit. Does the slacker feel respected and included? If not, consider how to incentivize more cooperation. In any case, every group has a dynamic, and every person in that group has a responsibility to contribute positively to that dynamic. So, if you’re not the only one seemingly affected, search out others to brainstorm solutions.
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Try not to approach those in higher management positions until you’ve established a pattern of slacking and feel like you’ve tried other workarounds. One option could be inserting artificial deliverable dates into the process, working backward from when you need to update a client on the status of a project, Marcoux suggested.
“Those interim milestones might push or kick them along to get something going,” he said. Also, management often appreciates it if you attempt to hash out squabbles on your own.
Of course, you may have no choice but to move up the chain of command if a major client starts to show signs of dissatisfaction, a major milestone looks as if it may need to be pushed back, or an entire project becomes at risk of being jeopardized.
Just be sure, as much as possible, to use only facts and stick to how they’re affecting the bottom line, Taylor said.
This is why it is critical to write down thoughts long before you pass them along. “You want to make sure you have a chance to edit them before firing them off in anger,” Taylor continued.
Look forward
All of this said, if you’re going to call into question a co-worker’s professional integrity, be sure no one has ammunition they could use against you.
“Sometimes this is all relative,” Taylor said. “You might meet with your team, and someone may say, ‘Well, you know, we were expecting more of you too.’ You don’t want egg on your face.”
Above all, be patient.
Engineering may be about big-picture calculations, but “the truth can be somewhere deep in the details,” Marcoux said. “Remember that everyone is a human being, and someone might be fighting a battle you don’t know about. Start with the carrot before you go to the stick.”
Robin Flanigan is an independent writer in Rochester, N.Y.
